Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-09
INEFFICIENT QUARANTINE.

The ielstIt of time that has elapsed since
the ships importing cholera from Italy
landei their peetilential cargo at New
York a, d the fact that the disease ia not
yet ~eradicated is explained in the report OF
the committee OF the College Of Physicians
OF Philadelphia upon the efficiency Of the
quarantine arrangements at New York.
The committee was appointed at a meet
ing Of the college on October 5, and made
a thorough examination which was pub.
lished in an extra issue Of the Mediral News
OF October 20. The state OF affairs which
the report discloses is a sad commentary
on the way in which the expensive and
costly institutions which New York has
lavishly prepared, to provide by every
known precaution against the dangers Of
the introduction Of disease from the pesti-
lsntial ports OF Europe, are rendered Luga.
tory and of little or 10 avail by the almost
criminal neglect of those into whose hands
their care is confided. Minute details,
upon which the efficiency OF the entire plan
OF suppression and control OF disease init
mately depends, are regarded with an
Indifference, the effect Of which is to nullify
the usei illness OF the whole institution.
The committee found that. the
buildings at Hoffman Island were all that
we're , ecessary in the way OF size and num-
her. hut "are not divid d into a sufficient
MI ~ Der OF small compartments to permit
the strict isolation of the immigrants into
small groups" The lavatories and other
conveniences for the use of the immigrants
were found to be d~isgracefully out Of re-
pair, by which means the dangers OF in
7, ction to those who were free from the
dieease were increased to q dangerous ex
tent. No provisions exist for the general
washing Of clothes by the authorities, and
~, result. the washing OF clothes by the
ATS themselves, gives rise to an ex-
= w., g'y dangerous practice. The report
si,, vs. tnat the must obviously necessary
provisions for separating those h are
we'll from the contagion OF the sick are
utterly lacking. There is no even a resi-
absurdity OF hoping for any strict quaran-
tine is emphasized from the fact that the
''police force of the Island consists of one
Waterman, assisted by an improvised corps
of IT, lve of the more intelligent of the i'm
migrants" Under these circumstances the
story of the New York boatman published
by the Commercial Advertiser, and show
ing the complete facility for communication
between the city and Hoffman Island, is
perfectly credible. Indiscriminate use OF
bed clothing by different persons, absence
of towels and other facilities for cleanliness,
absence of police regulations for guarding
communication with the shore, no medical
supervision except q bi-weekly visit Of a
perfunctory health officer-what possible
cbance is there of the determination of such
q disease as cholera when imported
by the wholesale, az in the case OF the
Alesia and Britannia? Well might Mayor
Hewitt call the attention OF Health Officer
Smith to the criticisms OF this report and
suggest hat the defects be remedied, as he
did N Saturday. 1t seems beyond the
p . as possibility that the health au-
n = city Ike New York could
rr~: su,t t under the existence OF such y
rarrles state 1T affairs as the committee.
re!'or. indi"ates. There is no doubt,
a. Mayor Hewitt says, that New Workers
stand ready to raise any sum necessary !
to remove the disgraceful state
"f affair desert bed and it would appear
that tie sooner they do &C the
b tier for themselves and the rest o.
the country. If the germs OF the disease 4
are not already present in New York, it is
due to no excess OF precaution OF those
whose duty it is to guard against it. The
exigencies developed by the inquiry. show
that quarantine precautions should be
under the management OF the national
authorities to be thoroughly efficient. The
lateness OF the season is almost the only |
protection the country has against an
epidemic of cholera.